Legato attachment for pianos



(No Model.)

R. C. SCI-IIRMER. LEGATO ATTACHMENT TOR PLANOS.

No. 558,524. Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

INVENT R, TMW

G? @nk AN DREW ELGRAMAM. Prism-mno wAsnl NGTlm` D a UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

RICHARD C. SCI'IIRMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LEGATO ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,524, dated April21, 1896. Application led February 9, 1895. Serial No. 537,745x (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD O. SCHIRMER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Legato Attachments forPianos, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification and aecompanying drawing.

My invention consists of a novel construction of legato attachment forpianos, which is especially adapted for purposes of instruction, andwhich can be readily applied to eX- isting pianos and moved into and outof operative position when desired, whereby the player will hear a clickwhen a key is depressed and a similar click when the finger is removedand the key returns toits normal position; and since the clicks shouldbe heard simultaneously or as one in strict legato playing the performeris thus enabled by the employment of the above attachment to acquire astrict legato touch or smooth and connected style of playing.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as will behereinafter set forth.

The ligure represents a partial side elevation and partial section of alegato attachment for pianos embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the head of the hammer A', and Bdesignates the rear portion of the same, the above parts being pivotallymounted or supported and actuated by any suitable mechanism.

C designates a piano-string, and D a strip of suitable material which isadapted to be interposed between said string and the head A of saidhammer.

G designates an adjusting-screw by means of which said strip D can beadjusted vertically, so as to be interposed between the head A and thepiano-string,when desired,as shown in the present instance, or it can beraised so that the head A of the hammer in its forward movement willclear said strip and hit said piano-string O.

E designates a strip placed in the rear of said hammer and adapted to bestruck by the rear portion B of the same when said strip E is in itsinferior position.

F designates an adjusting-screw by means of which said strip E iscapable of vertical adjustment and thus place the strip into and out ofthe path of the back of the hammerhead.

H designates a spring employed, which is suitably supported and isadapted to accelerate the movement of the hammer in one di rection, or,if desired, it is evident that the spring may be inserted under the key,according to requirements. Y

The operation is as follows: Vhenever a key is depressed, the head A ofthe hammer will not contact with the string C When the parts are in theposition seen, but will hit the strip D and produce a click, and whenthe finger is taken from the key said head will fall back to its normalposition in the same time that it took to depress it and will con tactwith the strip E, thereby causing a click to be heard, and as the twoclicks should fall together and be heard as one, this being what isrequired in strict legato playing, the performer will thus ascertain ifthe legato is correct.

It will be seen from the foregoing that by the aid of the aboveattachment a legato touch can be acquired with ease and certainty, sincelegato playing requires that in a succession of tones the second tonemust begin at the precise instant that the first one ceases, and theremust accordingly be no break between or offensive lapping, and in orderto produce this result the fingers must be trained so that the irstfinger shall leave the key at the exact instant that the second lingerstrikes its key, and since the keys when this attachment is used giveforth sound when they rise as well as when they fall if one isreleasedbefore or after the other is struck the error is at once madeapparent to the performer by the clicks caused by the keys not fallingsimultaneously.

It will further be evident that the above device can be readily appliedto existing pianos, and when not in use by manipulating the screws F andG in any suitable manner the strips E and D, respectively, can be easilymoved out of contact with the head and rear port-ion of the hammer AQthereby allowing said head t0 contact with the string C, as iscustomary.

It will further be evident that the strips D and E are capable ofadjustment relative to IOO the hammer by other means than that shown,and it Will be further noted that various changes may be made by thoseskilled in the art Which Will come Within the scope of my invention, andI do not therefore desire to be restricted in every instance to theexact construction I have herein shown and described.

I-Iaving' thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent', is-

1. In a device of the character named,strips of suitable material, onelocated in front and the other in the rear of the hammer of a piano, andmeans for moving` said strips into and out of the path of said hammer,substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a piano-hammer, stripslocated one in front and the other in the rear of said hammer, a

RICHARD C. SCIIIRMER.

lVitnesses:

J oHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, E. II. FAIRBANKS.

